At Dartcell, we’re fortunate to work with many talented women in business – and in our opinion, none are more inspiring than Becky Newell, Director at Learnmore Network Ltd.
Becky took the plunge into self-employment more than 15 years ago and has since built a successful female-led training business in the UK, earning recognition from The Independent as one of the country’s top 100 female entrepreneurs.
Having held senior roles at British Airways, BT Group, Compass Group and City Link before shifting her focus to developing skills and talent within organisations, Becky has largely worked in male-dominated spaces throughout her career. This means she has unique insights into the subconscious bias that exists in leadership, and a first-hand appreciation of the challenges that come with juggling work and family life at senior level.
So, in the spirit of International Women’s Day, we sat down with Becky to get her take on what it truly means to be a woman in the workplace, and what needs to change for female leaders to achieve the equal footing they deserve.
Becky, tell us a little more about your business and your journey to date.
I started Learnmore 15 years ago, when my daughter was just about to go to secondary school. At the time, I was a single mum of three, and I was spending far too much time travelling up and down the motorway for work.
Though I’d mainly worked in operational roles, I’d always had a passion for developing people. I looked at the training provision at the time and thought, “I can do a better job at this” – so I established Learnmore in the apprenticeships space initially, before offering wider management and leadership training programmes.
What do you remember as your most significant career inflection points – and why were they so important?
Interestingly, each time someone has believed in me more than I have believed in myself, I’ve reached the next stage in my career. Imposter syndrome could have held me back from my full potential if I hadn’t been encouraged by my peers when I was in my 20s.
For example, when I was working at British Airways, I remember being invited to apply for a senior position by an executive who barely knew me. I got the job, but I initially turned it down – I didn’t have the confidence that I could do what they were asking of me! I’m glad they encouraged me to stay the course, however, because it meant I could take the next step in my profession with the degree of flexibility I needed to raise my young family (which was unusual at the time).
The same business placed me onto a degree-level development programme. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do it, as I was pregnant with baby number three – but they supported me, and I eventually graduated with a business management degree.
Then, when I set up Learnmore, I was given my first project by my previous employer. They saw something in me that I couldn’t yet see in myself, and they gave me the push I needed.
What’s the most difficult financial or strategic decision you’ve ever had to make – and how did you approach it?
By far, becoming self-employed and founding Learnmore. At that point in my life, I was responsible for looking after my children AND paying all the bills – so leaving the security of a full-time position was extremely daunting.
My approach at the time – which terrifies me on reflection! – was to go all in. I didn’t have a Plan B. I was prepared to work hard, and I had built a great network, so I felt good things were going to happen for me. I made sure I had three months’ worth of mortgage payments in the bank and went from there. Looking back, it was madness. But it paid off.
What are the ‘mistakes’ that are worth making earlier on in a corporate career?
Applying for the promotion, even if you don’t think you’re ready. A 2014 Hewlett-Packard internal report found that women will only apply for a new position if they feel they meet 100% of the criteria, while men are often comfortable going for the job when they meet only 60% of the role’s requirements. Whether it’s down to a lack of confidence or the quiet voice in our heads telling us we don’t deserve to progress, this hesitancy is holding us back.
And secondly, choosing growth over loyalty. In my experience, women are much more likely to stay loyal to a business or a role because they like their colleagues, they have empathy for the challenges being faced by the leadership team, and they don’t want to let anyone down. Choosing to move forward for yourself is not a mistake – it’s part of your journey. (And you will rarely get that same loyalty back, anyway!)
How do you build trust within your senior team?
I find that giving my team autonomy works best. The most important thing is to let people get on with their roles, in the ways that work for them. It was Steve Jobs who said It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do. I’ve carried this with me for my whole career; I want to learn from the people around me and give them the space to do amazing things, not stifle them by micromanaging every hour of their day.
At Learnmore, we have some flexibility, whether that’s through compressed hours, early starts, or something else entirely. It’s something I’ve been passionate about since day one. As long as they’re meeting their targets and working to a high standard, I don’t mind when or how they get the job done.
I also make a point of backing my team publicly. We always approach our decisions with a united front. If things don’t go right, we’ll learn from it – but I want the world to know that I trust my team 100%.
What’s the one piece of leadership advice that women don’t hear often enough?
Get comfortable with saying ‘no’ if boundaries are being blurred. Say no to taking notes during a meeting. Say no to making coffees for your guests. Say no to tidying up the office at the end of the day, because society implies it’s the woman’s job. I know you can’t bear to let people down – but don’t diminish yourself!
Collectively, we need to push back and make it clear that we are in the room to lead, not support.
What do you think are the non-negotiable skills for women who want to move into board or C-suite positions?
I had a fantastic manager at my first job, and his words have always stuck with me: deal in facts and not emotion, and you won’t go wrong. This might sound contradictory, because I do believe that women’s empathy and emotional intelligence are important for success in the workplace – but we can’t be driven solely by how we feel.
Additionally, women are often seen as doers. We’re not immediately thought of as competent strategists. But board positions require you to shape the direction of the business, not do all the groundwork yourself – so learn how to delegate (and feel comfortable delegating).
Finally, my biggest piece of advice is to learn to speak in outcomes, not just effort. Shift the focus from measuring how busy you are to what you have achieved. Doing so will allow you to speak the board’s language and better demonstrate your worth.
How can the wider workplace provide better support to women?
In my view, organisations should promote based on evidence and not potential. Multiple studies show that companies tend to promote men based on what they will be able to do in the future, yet they promote women based on what they have already achieved. We need to level the playing field here.
I also think it’s important to provide safe spaces for women to interact. It’s not about excluding or criticising men – it’s about giving women the opportunity to identify with one another through shared experiences.
How are you changing the perception of women in leadership at Learnmore?
We actively encourage allyship training, during which all genders can talk about how they’re feeling and the challenges they’re facing. We encourage open conversations about the barriers women face professionally, and many of the men in our team have been surprised to hear we feel a certain way about a certain situation or outcome. On the other hand, these discussions enable our male colleagues to challenge our points of view in a healthy, productive way. Their input has enabled us to think outside of ourselves.
We’re very much an output-led company, too. If our employees need to pick their kids up from school early, we believe they should be able to do so without asking for permission, as long as they are delivering their work to a consistently high standard.
Personally, I’m eager to build a business that doesn’t penalise its staff for raising a family or having other commitments, because I know how difficult it is to balance work and life without support from your employers and your peers. Family should come first wherever possible.
And, of course, we are one of the only training providers in the UK to offer dedicated Women in Leadership training courses. We currently provide three distinct offerings – Leading with Strategic Impact, Bridge to Boardroom, and The Management Launchpad – and we’re planning to expand on our range soon. These courses have been extremely popular with people of all genders who are interested in exploring the common issues facing female employees at every level.
Final words…
It makes sense for women to be in our leadership teams. It’s been proven time and time again that gender diversity leads to stronger organisational performance, higher financial results, and higher levels of workplace satisfaction. The facts don’t lie!
Attitudes are changing, but it saddens me that my 28-year-old daughter is unlikely to see gender pay equality in her career. I can only hope that my grandchildren benefit from a more inclusive, more understanding workplace culture, and that by the time they leave school, leadership teams have learned the true value of the unique skills that women bring into business.